


Who We Are Now

by lookninjas



Series: Children's Work [16]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-07 23:55:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13446105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lookninjas/pseuds/lookninjas
Summary: Rey is thirteen and Ben is twenty-three and neither of them is the person they used to be, and that's good.  (Even if Rey does have three days' worth of detention to get through.)





	Who We Are Now

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: "Rey in middle school"

“You’re not in trouble,” Ben says, leading her down the hallway, and all Rey can do is just look at him, because –

“Okay, you’re kind of in trouble,” he says, and she rolls her eyes a little. "In school. But not at home. You know that, right?“

It occurs to her, a second later, that maybe she shouldn’t. She knows she’s not supposed to use that kind of language at school. She doesn’t even use it at home. _Ben_ doesn’t even use it at home. He does, sometimes, but not a lot. When the sink got clogged that time. Or sometimes when he’s looking at bills. Once on the phone, when one of the guys he makes pizza with was trying to talk him into doing something he didn’t want to do. But not a lot.

She shouldn’t use that language. She knows. But she also knows when she’s in trouble and when she isn’t. "I know,” she says. And then, because maybe there is something she could be in trouble for after all, she adds, “I didn’t – I didn’t tell her. I didn’t – It’s not like I run around the school, like, ‘Hey everyone, my brother’s –’”

Ben smiles, a little. "I know,“ he says, and holds the door open for her. It smells like thaw, like wet earth and things about to grow. She can’t wait for summer. She can’t wait for this year to be over. "I know. Look, things get around. It’s not your fault. And I’m not –” He shrugs, leading the way through the parking lot. Everyone else is still in class, their parents still waiting to come get them. Peaceful. "It doesn’t bother me if people know. They can think what they want; it doesn’t – It doesn’t bother me. Like it used to.“

It does bother him, though, a little. Not just that people know, because lots of people have known for a long time, and he doesn’t care about that. Jonette’s mom knows, and he doesn’t care. Saffron’s parents know, and he doesn’t care. Billy and Kelly and Mr. Simmons and Ms. Wilson and lots of people know, and he doesn’t care, because they don’t care.

But when Thomas’s parents found out, he cared then. When Mrs. Lake found out, he cared. And when stupid Ashley Porter found out and decided to make a big deal out of it at lunch time in front of half the school –

He would’ve cared, if he’d heard. What she was saying. He would’ve cared.

"I’m sorry,” Rey says, because it’s all she has. Because she already tried “Fuck you!” and it did shut Ashley up for like a second, but now Rey has detention for a week, so.

At least Jonette has detention with her. 

“Don’t be.” Ben leans down, kisses the top of her head. "You were protecting me. I get that.“ He sighs heavily and reaches around her to open the door. "I won’t even tell you that you don’t need to, even though you don’t. Because we both know you would anyway.”

She could say _I’m sorry_ again. But she won’t, because she’s not, and lying is worse than swearing. "You’re my brother,“ she says instead, and doesn’t get into the car. "I need to.”

Because sometimes people don’t. Because even Jonette didn’t, at first. It didn’t take her long to start, but at first –

Ben just sighs, and shrugs, and smiles at her. "Fair,“ he says, and when she still doesn’t get in the car right away, he raises his eyebrows at her until she does. He doesn’t close the door right away, though, just watches her settle her backpack, get her seat belt fastened. Finally, he crouches down by the open door, still watching her.

"You remember the first thing you ever got in trouble for?” he asks her, still watching. "I mean, not in trouble. But you said something in class, and I got called in to talk to your teacher. Do you remember what it was?“

She remembers, vaguely, Ben standing by the window with the teacher. She remembers him looking sad. She doesn’t remember why, and finally just gives up and shakes her head.

"Well, it probably doesn’t matter,” Ben says, which is sort of infuriating because now she wants to know, only she doesn’t want to ask (although she will, eventually, but not now.) "Just. This is probably a weird time to say it, but I’m really proud of you, Rey. I really am.“

He comes up from his crouch a little, just enough to lean in and kiss her on the cheek. When he pulls back, he smacks the back of his head against the inside of the car door. 

"Ow,” he says, and “Fuck!” and then he looks at Rey, and she looks at him, and he laughs, and so does she. 

“Guess we better get out of here before I get us in more trouble, right?” he says, and finally closes the door, comes around to the driver’s side, gets himself settled, long body folded up. He’s too big for the car anymore, really. Hopefully someday they’ll get something bigger.

“Ben,” she says, before he can turn the key to get it started, and he looks over at her, and she forgets, sort of, what she wanted to say. 

It was Hell. That was what she got in trouble for, that first time. For saying she’d be going to Hell if she stopped wearing skirts. That’s what it was.

Ben cocks his head, still looking at her, waiting. 

It wasn’t just Ben she was defending. That was the thing. It was, because, that was who Ashley was talking about, but if it had been someone else it wouldn’t have mattered. She still would’ve had to. Because that’s who she is, now. It’s not, maybe, who she would’ve been. But it’s who she is now.

But she doesn’t totally know how to say it, so she just says, “Thanks.”

Ben smiles back at her, leans in to kiss her cheek again. Doesn’t hit his head this time. "Love you, kid,“ he says, and starts the car. 

"Love you too,” she says, just to see him beaming as he pulls out of the parking lot.


End file.
